


A New Beginning

by EaManning



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-13 23:38:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5721358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EaManning/pseuds/EaManning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey has found Luke, but he is a changed man. Guilt over Kylo Ren makes him keep everyone at a distance, but old feelings of familiarity mean she won't give up so easily. The Rebellion is facing many challenges, and it is a race against time to prepare Rey as a Jedi in order to take down Kylo Ren and the First Order once and for all. Can he be saved? Or is it too late for them all?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Meeting

Staring up at the hooded man felt like a dream. Rey almost believed she was standing outside herself, watching the scene play out in front of her from a distance. If someone had told her a week ago that she would be standing on the island from her imagination, staring into the old, tired face of Luke Skywalker, she would’ve told them they were mad. Even know a small part of her still believed Luke Skywalker was nothing more than a myth. Just one of the many stories floating around the galaxy about a man who became a Jedi to take down the sinister Galactic Empire. 

But, no. Here was the proof right in front of her. She held out the lightsaber for the older man to take, and some part of her that she thought she’d buried long ago began screaming at her. Why? Why were the old feelings of loss and longing springing back up after all this time?

It took a moment for either person to move. Finally Luke took a step in her direction, holding out the metal hand she just now noticed, and the lightsaber sprang from her grip and into his own. 

“Thanks.” The one word sounded like sandpaper coming from his mouth. Rey guessed it had been some time since he’d spoken aloud. Then, without warning, he strode away from her without another word. 

“Wait,” Rey said, hurrying to catch up with him. Luke Skywalker didn’t make and indication that he’d heard her. It was just as well. She didn’t know what she would’ve said. What could she possibly have to offer the last Jedi? What could she tell him that he didn’t already know?

The old man paused suddenly and turned to face her once again. Rey, taken aback, nearly bumped into him but caught herself at the last moment. “Of all the people I expected to find me, I never dreamed it would be you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rey snapped.

For the first time Luke’s lips twisted into a smile. It didn’t reach his eyes and Rey thought it looked more like a sneer. “After everything I did, all the steps I took to ensure you were safe, you were the one to find me. I suppose it’s appropriate. In fact, I should’ve expected it. It was only a matter of time until Leia found you. I suppose she sent you as some form of payback.”

Rey frowned. She thought he was talking more to himself than her, but it didn’t make her any less susceptible to the words. 

He sighed and turned back around. “I suppose it’s time I go back. I’ve left Ben to his own devices long enough.” 

Rey followed him, expecting him to start the long descent back to the Falcon, but instead he turned in the other direction, inside a small cave where she suspected he lived.

“Wh…” she began to ask, but he answered her unspoken question before she could get the words out. 

“Just gathering some belongings. I won’t be long.”

He disappeared inside the dark dwelling. Rey wondered whether she was expected to follow him or wait outside. She opted for the latter, not wanting to intrude on his privacy. She suspected it would take him long enough to trust her without making him angry. 

He reappeared a moment later carrying a simple duffel bag. It looked so out of place on him in his full Jedi garb that she wanted to laugh. She made sure her face was a blank slate, however, as she asked, “Are you ready?”

He made a vague motion for her to start walking as a reply. 

As they walked, she could feel his presence swimming over her like a storm cloud preparing to dump its haul. She couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity that washed over her every time she looked at him. Luke Skywalker had never been more than a distant figure, a myth spoken to children as a bedtime story to make them feel as though the galaxy had more to offer than what was given to them. Rey had listened to the stories parents would tell their children on Jakku and pretend they were talking about the mysterious Jedi and his quest to find her and bring her back to her family. As she lay awake at night, the loneliness creeping upon her, she thought about her parents leaving her on the desert planet so they could carry out heroic Jedi quests. They would only come back for her when it was safe. Only they got lost or kidnapped, and Luke was on a mission to find her so they could rescue them together. 

Rey had convinced herself of this so often as a child that she would force herself to stay awake even when her eyelids felt like weights wanting to drag her into sleep, because she was afraid the Jedi would arrive only to miss her because she wasn’t awake to alert him to her presence, and leave without her. 

Of course she’d abandoned those thoughts as she got older. The stories surrounding Luke Skywalker became less and less until no one believed he was real anymore. And yet here he was, walking behind her, his soft footsteps echoing loudly in her ears as proof. 

R2-D2 lit up the moment he caught sight of Luke, looking like he wanted to start up the mountain to tackle his old friend. Chewbacca let out a mighty roar that might have sounded ominous to anyone who didn’t know better. Rey smiled, knowing both of them were ecstatic that Luke had been found at last. 

Both of them passed Rey to all but tackle the old Jedi to the ground in their excitement. Rey saw a warm smile light up his face as he was reunited with his old friends. 

“Hello, Chewie. Hey there, R2. I told you we’d see each other again, didn’t I?”

The droid beeped in response. I almost didn’t believe it anymore. 

Luke patted the top of R2’s head almost lovingly before turning back to Rey. His smile vanished at once. Rey tried not to feel the disappointment welling up inside her. 

“You’re the pilot. Take us back to Leia.”

Rey choked back a retort and did as she was told. The others followed her inside, and she was relieved when Luke stayed out of the cockpit. The coordinates for the Ileenuim system were entered into the navigation system, and a moment later they were off.


	2. The Hero Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Luke come back to the Resistance, where Luke is greeted like an idolized hero. Feeling ignored, Rey finds comfort with Finn, who reassures her before her training is set to begin.

The moment the Falcon touched down on the base they were swarmed with what seemed like the entire Resistance. Rey barely got the door open before the ship was flooded with people, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the famous lost Jedi. Luke smiled softly, greeting everyone in turn. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy as she watched the scene play out. Everyone was getting a warmer reception than she’d received. What was it about her that made him so distant?

Artoo and Chewbacca followed Luke around, deigning themselves his unofficial bodyguards. Rey watched as they helped him push past the crowd, slowly moving off the Falcon and away from her. No one seemed to notice the pilot, new to the Resistance but very much a part of it. She hadn’t exactly been expecting a homecoming, but she’d been the one to bring Luke Skywalker back. Didn’t that count for something?

Trying to squash the disappointment mounting inside her, she followed the hoard of people off the ship and back onto solid ground. That was when she noticed the one person who hadn’t flocked to Luke. His familiar smile spread through Rey’s body like warmth. She was still getting used to the idea of having a friend, especially one who appeared so happy at the sight of her. When was the last time she’d had that?

“Long time no see, stranger,” Finn said as he embraced Rey in a warm hug. 

Rey hugged him back, but quickly let go at the hiss of pain the ex-stormtrooper let out as she squeezed him. 

“I’m sorry!” she exclaimed in horror. “I forgot you were injured.”

Finn shrugged it off. “It’s not so bad anymore. The medics here really know their stuff.”

Rey grinned. “I bet you were their best patient.”

“You know it.” 

The two fell silent, but no awkwardness lay between them. Simply taking solace in each other’s company was good enough, especially for two people who had spent so much time alone. Together they walked back to base, Rey doing her best not to glance in the direction Luke and the rest of the Resistance had gone, wanting to forget about the past couple of days, if only temporarily. 

 

 

The next day Rey was woken much too early by someone pounding loudly on her door. For one dreadful moment she thought she was back on Jakku and someone had come to rob her. Not that that ever happened. She’d taken steps long ago to ensure her AT-AT was protected against intruders and would-be thieves. 

She considered ignoring it. She was so used to spending her time alone that it almost angered her be interrupted from sleep. But she couldn’t muster up the strength, so instead she pulled herself from the bed and opened the door to the room the resistance had given her. 

To Rey’s surprise, General Organa stood on the other side of the door, immaculately dressed as always. Today she was in a simple green shirt and comfortable brown pants, her hair swept up in a bun on the back of her head so as to keep it out of her face while working. She smiled at Rey, who always felt a warm feeling come over her whenever she did so. 

“I just wanted to make sure you were up. Luke wants to begin your training as soon as possible,” the general said, her tone soft and soothing. 

Rey suppressed a sigh, and before she could stop herself she muttered, “I suppose he couldn’t come up here and tell me himself.”

Leia smiled and laughed quietly at the younger woman’s words. “I assume my brother wants to maintain the mysterious aura he’s been carrying around for as long as possible. Believe me, he doesn’t mean anything by it. Like you, he’s getting used to life here, and the problems we face wear heavily on him.”

Rey nodded, not wanting to start an argument with a woman who had, so far at least, been nothing but kind to her. “I’ll be down soon.”

“Okay, dear.” Leia offered one last parting smile before leaving Rey to get ready to face her first official training day with Luke Skywalker. 

Rey sat beside Finn at breakfast, relieved that Luke had yet to present himself. She immediately began eating, nodding a quick hello to Finn, who pursed his lips as though he were trying not to laugh. 

“What’s so funny?” Rey asked once she’d swallowed her mouthful of food.

Finn shrugged. “Nothing. I would’ve thought you’d be too nervous to eat. First day of training with a legend. Soon you’ll be a Jedi and leave the rest of us behind to embark on some noble quest.” He nudged her shoulder in a teasing way, so much like the man she’d come to see as a friend.

“Please,” Rey scoffed. She took a bite of a biscuit and swallowed before continuing. “I’ll be the same person I was before. I’ll just be one with the Force.” She waved her hands jokingly, causing Finn to laugh loudly. Some people turned to give them curious looks, and Rey had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. 

“So the Force is real,” Finn said, sobering.

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

Rey hoped he wouldn’t press her for questions as to what happened between her and Kylo Ren. She sensed the question bridging a gap between them, and she knew he wanted to know how she defeated him, and how they’d escaped Starkiller Base minutes before it had exploded. Luckily he seemed to sense that she didn’t want to talk about it, because he started to change the subject.

“So what do you think about…” he began, but his sentence was cut short when the door to the cafeteria opened, and Luke himself wandered in.

He carried a tray of food, dressed in the same heavy robe Rey had found him in back on Ahch-To. Artoo followed behind him. Both seemed either unaware or unconcerned that the crowd had gone silent at the sight of them. Rey rolled her eyes and turned back to her food. The familiarity she’d felt the previous day came rushing back to her. It felt like a memory was creeping up on the edges of her brain, demanding to be let out, but Rey couldn’t access it. It was frustrating, and she felt like slamming her fist on the table in order to find some relief. But that would have attracted too much attention, and she didn’t want to answer the questions Finn would inevitably ask. 

“Who would’ve thought a powerful Jedi would need to eat,” Finn mused, breaking the tense silence. 

Rey laughed, grateful that the mood seemed to lighten, at least between them

“It is a strange sight, isn’t it?” Rey replied, sneaking a glance behind her at Luke and the crowd of people who had surged on them. She wondered how he felt about being followed around by people. He didn’t seem bothered at the lack of solitude, but she couldn’t imagine he welcomed it, either. 

“I wish you could train with me. It would make the whole thing a lot easier to go through,” Rey said as she finished the last bites of her food. 

“If I had the Force, I’d be right there with you.”

Rey nodded. “Thanks. At least you have pilot training. I’ve heard Poe is the best to learn from.”

Finn perked up at the mention of Poe’s name. Rey could tell he tried to hide it, but he did a poor job of it. “He’s great. It’s just too bad you already know how pilot a ship. We could’ve waited for you and made it a party.”

“There’s still time for parties later. I have a feeling after training I’ll need it.”

Finn promised they’d talk later then stood up to throw his trash away. Rey watched him leave the cafeteria to start his training with Poe, wishing desperately that she could go with him. But she remained where she was, knowing somehow without being told that she was supposed to wait there until Luke came to her. He seemed to be taking his time eating, something she was fine with. 

A few minutes later she watched as Luke stood up. Someone took his tray for him and threw it away. Luke turned to face her, and she heard the words in her head as clearly as if they’d been spoken aloud. 

'Are you ready to begin?' 

Nodding, Rey stood and followed him out the doors to a secluded part of the base to begin.


	3. The Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's first day of training doesn't go as planned. She goes to bed frustrated and has a dream about the family who left her on Jakku.

Rey had been expecting Luke to take them to some underground room for training, but she was pleasantly surprised when he took them outside. The sun shone down on them from the sky, but unlike the sun on Jakku, which had been relentless in its attack on the desert planet, this one felt pleasant and comforting. It wasn’t too hot or too cold. She felt like she could’ve stayed outside all day and been happy.

 

The area Luke took them to looked like a small courtyard, but was large enough to have easily hosted the entire resistance. A square of pavement about twenty feet wide and across was surrounded on all sides by large patches of grass. It was empty except for the two of them.

 

Rey took in her surroundings, still marveling at the lack of sand, while Luke strode to the center of the pavement. He pulled out two lightsabers from the inside of his robes and turned back to Rey.

 

“Here,” he said, tossing her one of them.

 

Caught off guard, she held out her hand, expecting to catch it, but instead it stopped in mid-air, hovering by her fingertips by mere inches. She gaped at it, stunned, and turned to Luke in silent questioning.

 

“The Force,” he said, answering her unasked question. “It flows through us and guides us in unexpected ways. With training you can learn to use it for many skills, including jumping great heights and distances, persuading the weak-minded, and telekinesis.” He eyed the saber that was still hovering in front of Rey and considered her for a moment. “It seems you already possess an innate knowledge of some of these skills.”

 

Rey reached up and grabbed the weapon Luke gave her, realizing it was the same one she’d found at Maz Kenata’s that she’d given back to him on the island.

 

“Why are you giving me your old lightsaber?” she asked.

 

“It is no longer mine. It was lost to me long ago and no longer calls to me. You, however, have a special bond with it. It will serve you well.”

 

She nodded, not sure she really understood what he was talking about. But she took the lightsaber, surprised by how _right_ it felt in her grip. Almost as if it belonged there. She held it for a moment in her right hand, letting it feel like an extension of her arm. She closed her eyes and could feel the Force flowing through her. It was as if she were back on Starkiller base the night she’d fought Kylo Ren. It all felt so natural.

 

“You can feel it,” Luke commented. It wasn’t a question, but stated as a fact. Rey could only nod. “The Force is strong in you, Rey. Even I can tell that much. I never would have thought it would turn out this way.”

 

Rey could tell he’d said that last part more to himself than her. She wanted to question him. What did he mean by that? And why did that familiarity creep back up on her when he said it?

 

“I’m going to do my best to train you as a Jedi. You have to keep in mind that I was never fully trained myself. I was taught by Master Yoda, one of the greatest Jedis to ever live, but my time with him was short. What he did not teach me I had to teach myself, so I apologize in advance for anything that does not feel right.”

 

Rey stared at him, wondering if he realized she had no knowledge about the Jedi. Up until a few days ago she’d believed they had been nothing more than myth. That she’d thought Luke himself had been a myth. How was she to know the right or wrong way to be trained? But she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to give him any reason to think less of her.

 

“Okay,” was all she said. It seemed to be answer enough for him.

 

Rey listened with rapt attention as Luke began explaining the Jedi code to her. They believed in bringing peace and balance to the galaxy. “To do this,” Luke explained, “one must rid him or herself of emotion. Hate and anger are a path to the dark side.”

 

“Like Ben?” Rey asked before she could stop herself.

 

Luke’s tightened expression was the only sign that he reacted to her statement. “So you know of Kylo Ren’s true identity?”

 

“Yeah. I was there when he killed…” she trailed off, the name _Han Solo_ stuck in her throat. The memory of that night was still etched deeply in her mind. She felt her throat constrict, but she pushed the tears away before they had a chance to fall. She wouldn’t let Luke Skywalker see her cry. She _would not._

Luke sighed, and it sounded as though the tension he’d carried with him for all his years in exile had caught up with him. “You must understand that Ben…Kylo Ren…thought he had a legacy to live up to. He has great power, much like you, but he felt as though he should use it whenever he pleased. That…well, it didn’t end well.”

 

Obviously, Rey thought, but she kept it to herself. She’d gathered that he still felt guilty about his former student turning against him and she didn’t want to be the one to bring it up.

 

“Enough about him. We need to focus on building your physical strength, which is why I brought you out here. By improving your physicality, you will be gaining mental strength as well. Tuning in to this strength will make you better able to concentrate and call upon the Force when needed. So go ahead and stretch, and we’ll begin.”

 

* * *

 

 

By the time her first session was over, Rey ached in places she didn’t know were possible to feel. She felt as if she’d just been trampled by a Walker, and even that felt too nice. She wasn’t sure if Luke was trying to train her or kill her.

 

She glared at him when he walked by, but he didn’t pay her any attention. It was like their time together ended all association, and he was back to being the mysterious figure everyone wanted to be around.

 

“So how was Jedi training? Is Luke as powerful as they say?” Finn asked when he caught up with her in the cafeteria for dinner.

 

“I wouldn’t know,” she replied bitterly. “It was nothing more than a physical exercise.”

 

“Really?” Finn sounded disappointed. “I would’ve thought you’d be this powerful Force user who would use mind tricks on me to do whatever you wanted.”

 

“It was more of a test for him to see how long it would take him to break every bone in my body.”

 

“Oh.” Finn’s face twisted in sympathy. She shrugged it off, not wanting his or anyone else’s pity. “Well, I guess everyone has to start somewhere. When the First Order trained us, we weren’t exactly shooting targets the first day.”

 

“Yeah, but this is different somehow. I don’t understand what physicality has to do with the Force. All I need to do is defeat Kylo Ren, and I already did that once. Why bother with any of this?” she asked. It was a rhetorical question but Finn shrugged anyway, clearly at a loss as to what to say to cheer her up. Rey wasn’t sure there was anything.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said at last, once they were done with their food. “I shouldn’t be taking my frustration out on you.”

 

“It’s fine. I’d probably do the same thing if our roles were reversed.”

 

Rey smiled gratefully at him and was overcome with a strange urge to rest her head on his broad shoulder. She didn’t act on it because she didn’t know how he would react. He’d probably think she was being too forward. Instead she stood up and picked up her tray from the table.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I think I’m going to turn in.”

 

“You look like you could use it.”

 

“Thanks,” she replied sarcastically, smacking him lightly on the arm.

 

“Don’t mention it.” He smiled at her as she left the cafeteria. She brightened somewhat at the knowledge that she truly had a friend in Finn. She was grateful that she had someone to talk to and vent to if need be. Back on Jakku she’d only ever been able to keep her feelings to herself, but here she was able to unload some of her burden on someone else. She felt lighter than she ever had before.

 

It wasn’t until she was back in her room that she realized she hadn’t asked Finn how his training with Poe had gone. She made a mental note to ask him tomorrow, and fell asleep soon after.

 

* * *

 

 

_“No! You can’t leave me here!”_

_A young girl, no older than five, was sobbing into the arms of a hooded man. Rey couldn’t tell where they were, but it looked eerily familiar._

_“It’s okay. It’s only for a little while. This man here will look after you while I’m gone. I’ll come back for you when it’s safe, I promise.”_

_“Why can’t I come with you? Don’t you think I’m good enough?” the girl practically begged the man._

_“Of course I do. But you’re too young and it’s just not safe. It’s safe here on Jakku. You’ll be with friends.”_

_The girl’s sobs lightened enough her brows to come together in confusion. “But all my friends are back home.”_

_“You’ll make new friends. Unkar Plutt here is going to be your best friend. He’ll look after you.”_

_“No.” The girl shook her head, fresh tears streaming down her face. “I don’t want new friends. I want my old friends! I want my aunt and uncle. I want you!”_

_The man braced himself as the girl threw herself on him, sobbing into his chest as though her life depended on it. Rey’s heart skipped a beat at watching the exchange._

_“I know darling, and I want you. But I have to leave. I promise I’ll come back for you when I’m ready. Until then you need to be a good girl and do everything Unkar Plutt tells you. Can you do that?”_

_The girl didn’t give him an answer, but Rey didn’t think the man expected one. He touched her shoulders and gently lifted her off him. Unkar Plutt took her small arm in his large one and held her tightly as the man walked away toward his ship, which was parked nearby._

_“I love you, Rey. But this is for the best,” the man whispered to himself, right before he raised his arm and waved it in front of him. Immediately the girl’s face wiped of any recognition, but the tears were still streaming down her face._

_“You won’t remember me. You’ll only think of your family in the broadest term possible.”_

_And with that, the man boarded his ship and took off into the sky, away from the desert planet. Away from the girl who Rey now recognized as her younger self._

_“No! Come back! Come back!” Young Rey screamed as Unkar Plutt dragged her back to his tent._

* * *

 

 

Rey gasped as she woke up, her entire body drenched in sweat. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

 

The dream had been so vivid. So real. And so true. The full memory of that awful day was now as fresh in her mind as it had been when she’d lived through it the first time. Though she hadn’t seen the man’s face in her dream, she had a suspicion as to his identity. And she was going to get answers one way or another.

 

She got out of bed and didn’t bother putting on the robe Leia had given her as she stormed out of her room and in the direction of Luke Skywalker.


End file.
